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RPS Teachers Rock

Richmonders might have seen the “RPS Teachers Rock” signs out and about this week: throughout schools, on social media, and even in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Sunday paper. As the district celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and the love for our amazing teachers flooded in, the message remained abundantly clear: RPS Teachers Rock!

School administration, parents, and students took time out this week to let their teachers know how much they love and appreciate them. PTAs hosted paint nights, community organizations provided catered lunches, principals welcomed staff with donuts and coffee – all to say “thank you”: Thank you for leading and teaching with love. Thank you for creating joyful classrooms that provide rigorous instruction. Thank you for believing in the greatness of each and every one of our students.

“Teacher Appreciation Week is just one week of the year that I can recognize the hard work of my staff because they really do go above and beyond,” said William Fox Elementary Principal, Daniela Jacobs. “As an administrative team, we try to do something little every day for our teachers, something small to show them that we care. I want to make sure they feel special during the week and know that we recognize everything that they do for our students.”

And while Teacher Appreciation Week is coming to an end, Dreams4RPS has laid the foundation for even more meaningful forms of appreciation: redesigning the compensation system to ensure that RPS teachers are paid at or above the Virginia state average, providing meaningful professional development, and celebrating and honoring RPS teachers throughout the year.

“On behalf of RPS, I want to express my profound gratitude to you for the extraordinary work you do every day. There is simply no more important work to the future of Richmond than what happens in your classrooms,” said RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. “As you know better than anyone else, it's about so much more than math and reading and social studies. Your work is about creating a more just and equitable future for the children of this city. We simply can't say thank you enough!”